His Broken Oath
by Nyssa Mathews
Summary: Kazuma swore to abandon the Kannagi family, yet every meeting with Ayano tempts him to forget his promise and instead to embrace the future they could have together. He remembers his first impression, and through all the battles they face, it is Ayano who brings back his sanity. For all his taunts, he knows that protecting her is more important than any other oath he could make.
1. Chapter 1

He couldn't have said when it had started, but Kazuma rather thought that the first tug at his heartstrings was the result of seeing Ayano in a blaze of fire when he'd returned to Japan. At first, all he had seen was the sheer energy of her, burning like an orange star and casting flickering shadows across the wreckage behind her. Then there was a figure. The blaze of red hair cascading down slender shoulders to a petite waist. A pang of desire shot through him at the sight of that short blue pleated skirt that fluttered in the wind caused by her inferno, baring long legs to his sight. Finally his gaze came to rest upon a sword that had haunted his childhood.

"Enraiha?"

If the spirits had been kind, that could have been him. He could have been standing in place of that girl, looking down upon his family who had loved him and trained him. Instead it was…

"Ayano? Is that you, Ayano?"

But he knew the answer even if he couldn't quite wrap his mind around that knowledge that the little girl who had watched with such innocent crimson eyes as they had faced each other in the earning of the sacred sword had grown into this young woman that made him feel like stopping just to catch his breath. Her eyes had remained on the bodies of her family, but when they lifted to his, he saw that they were the same remarkable color if a bit harder.

She said his name, clutching her sword tighter. He barely had time to reorient himself enough to get out of the way as she charged him, the fury of her will lighting the sword. The first thought to enter his brain was that anger was energy, and by all indications, she would be a fierce opponent.

He'd never blamed her for the flames she'd cast upon them all those years ago, earning herself the right to one day rule the family. Watching her now, he couldn't bring himself to call upon the winds, as if proving his new power would mean anything between the two of them. Instead he just dodged, knowing that the place she held was one he would gladly have relinquish to her.

With every fireball she sent his way, he could only marvel at her grace and force. Though she had a ways to go, surely she'd come a long way already. Besides, she couldn't possibly be trying to kill him with those attacks.

"Hold on a second! This is a misunderstanding! I didn't kill them." He reassured her, hoping that she would drop her sword, the only thing that stood between them in that moment.

"I won't forgive you for this!"

"Hear me out!"

Her attacks were driven by anger rather than skill, and knocking Enraiha out of her hand had been too easy. It was here he figured that no fire user would so willingly let their sacred weapon fly carelessly from their grasp. So he stood a chance at talking with her, at figuring out when that little girl had grown into an enticing woman. Her wrist in his grasp, he had to admire.

"It's been four years, huh? You've grown up." They both had, he knew.

She was less than interested in the reunion though, and he found himself forced to defend himself with a single blade of wind. She'd asked the one question that could clear his mind from the haze.

"Who do you think I am?"

He knew the answer too well, for it should have been his title. The inheritor of Enraiha, the next head of the Kannagi family.

Above all, she was a Kannagi.

And he had vowed to abandon them the way that they had abandoned him.


	2. Daddy's Girl Chapter 2

He'd come for one purpose. Stepping onto the compound for the first time in four years though, Kazuma had to admit that he was hoping for a glimpse of that long red hair. The faces that greeted him were indeed memorable, though a less welcome sight. He remembered them this way, ganging up on him. First he hadn't been powerful enough for them, but now they seemed to have the opposite problem with him. It was necessary that he come here, so he'd hoped for a bit more of a reception, perhaps an escort to the head of the family. Ayano would have done well, he'd thought. Still, it was Ren he had come for. Ren he had to save. The one Kannagi he simply couldn't dismiss because of an old grudge.

When Judo handed him a file full of wind-magic users, his first inclination had been to search for his own name. Had the head of the family known all along what his destiny held? Instead he focused, and searched for a familiar face that now he knew to be surrounded by a sickly aura of dark strength.

Here, surrounded by fire energy, he barely registered the spike in energy before the door slid open and he was once again confronted by that flaming sword and a shout of his name.

Again he was struck dumb by the sight of her and the blossom of her anger into a skewing blaze. By the words of Judo, those flames flickered out midstride. He had to hide his smile, for of course Ayano Kannagi would be a daddy's girl. How had he missed the signs before?

With a shrug, he dismissed her accusations, though he was tempted to prod her, taunt her. If he pushed hard enough, just how far would she go, what glorious power would pour from her?

He tried to ignore the tug he felt as she knelt beside him, facing her father. Between them was a palpable tension as if trying to draw them closer together; the idea of her warmth pressed to his side, that magnificent hair brushing his jaw, forced him to harden his heart to her if only to focus for the moment. He repeated his brother's name to himself, desperate to remember that there was only one Kannagi he could accept as an ally.

Why was it so impossible to her that the Fuga clan could be responsible for the deaths of the family, he wondered. Her trust was so absolute, as was her wariness of him. The daddy's girl could be such a naïve child, an idea which he clung to if only to keep himself detached from her with his ultimate focus on his little brother, who remained pure of the family's wrong-doings to both the Fuga clan and Kazuma. Then Judo said that one word that completely wiped Ayano from his mind.

"Sacrifice?" It was like a blow to the chest, slicing into his heart and laying bare the memory he kept buried there. He could see the blood, the desperation, the fear. When he imagined Ren in such a state, he felt a dark abyss of grief and anger gnaw at his insides. Suppressing the shadows of his past, and now his seeming future, was like calming a fierce, howling, and fatal storm.

But then, hadn't he returned just like the Fuga to exact his revenge upon the family who had suppressed everything good about him for his inferiority? Ren, like the woman who haunted his every waking moment, would pay the price demanded by the smothered talents too long concealed. It was the arrogance of the Kannagis, of Ayano, that sparked flames of revolt within non-fire users. Kazuma himself was engulfed in such hatred despite the fact his brother would soon be lost to it due to the weakness of the Kannagis.

"Ren's a kid! He wasn't put on this earth to be eaten by some youma!"

He remembered that. The idea of fate being so cruel to someone that their whole life would lead up to a horrifying and painful death no matter how they'd lived or who they were to those around them. Naïve though she may be, Ayano was bursting with passion and righteous zeal and Kazuma found himself proud of her for some reason. Proud that she dismissed vindictive fates and embraced her power to bend them to her will. Her words were like a promise to Ren, a promise to protect him, the innocent.

Hadn't Kazuma made that same promise the day he took the contract of the Spirit King of Wind?

For a while at least, the war between the family and him would have to wait because he was going to follow the red-haired hellion regardless of what they said of did and together they were going to save Ren. What he couldn't understand was why she was so eager to face forces far more powerful than her. Was it simple arrogance on her part, or the underlying need to protect that so mirrored his?

He couldn't let her see, let any of them see, that this family was still his weakness. More important than his pride, his independence would be threatened if they believed he wanted to protect any member of that family, whether it be Ren or even their little princess Ayano. What strength could possibly exist within one that was still so easily manipulated by the family that cast him out? So he named the one thing that would ensure they no longer considered him a member of the family. He named a price.

It made for a long car ride with Ayano after she realized that his soul didn't tend towards great acts of charity. She was practically simmering in the seat beside him as the car jerked over bumps and dips in the road up the mountain, the temperature in the car rising by a few degrees as her irritation grew. Again he found himself with the strange urge to goad her until that temper exploded so he could see what kind of awe-inspiring inferno might result. Not when Ren was on the line though, and he needed her temper focused on the Fuga rather than on her suspicions of him.

_Ren._

If only he could hold on, Kazuma swore he would get to him in time, that he would stop _this_ youma.

To his relief, Ayano was worried that she'd fail. It meant she took this as seriously as he did, and he needed to count on that if they were going to succeed at all. For all her pride, it seemed she comprehended that she was facing something more powerful than even her sacred sword, and again he was forced to acknowledge that she was no longer a child and that like him, she too had faced too much in the world to do anything but mature. Given four years, perhaps she'd be equal with his powers now. He needed both their powers to be enough now though. He would never let Ren, or anyone else, be a sacrifice.

Those crimson eyes were on him, he could feel them by the very tingle on his sense like a brush against his cheek or fingers caressing the nape of his neck. His brown gaze shifted to hers, her thoughts a mystery to him. She was too quiet. Without that insight into her temper, with her face serene and serious, her utter beauty was undeniable from the smooth curve of her pale cheek to those wide eyes regarding him so carefully.

His senses felt raw from her, like they were straining towards her, when suddenly something cold and dark scraped against his awareness. Their departure from the car was quick and crude, yet when he put his face next to hers as he lifted her out, time shifted about them as their eyes locked and a slight blush spread against her cheeks. He tucked her head against his chest and braced for impact, but he couldn't stop himself from the rush he felt at her warm gasp against the skin of his neck. With her nestled close, it was difficult to remember that he would have to be back on his feet so quickly.

The darkness that was suffocating the air around him reminded Kazuma to look up.

_Ren. _He couldn't allow there to be a sacrifice. It was his very first oath.


	3. Feelings Chapter 3

It was the chuckle that first rankled him. The wind-user who had been too weak to even act with his own power was laughing at them for their attempt to defy him and save Ren before the youma could be called forth. It was the laugh of someone who understood exactly what horrors they were inflicting and found pleasure in them. Kazuma had to remind himself the laugh was no longer his, and that the boy who suffered was his brother, so dealing with Ryuya would have to be quick and clean regardless of his inclination to make him suffer too.

The sick aura of him still seemed to choke the very air and Kazuma found himself glad for the distance between them though he realized that if Ayano was to stand any chance against him, she would have to close that distance.

She was magnificent in battle, her hair blazing behind her with the force of her attacks, sparks surrounding her in rings.

He couldn't stay and watch. Ignoring the pull of her was almost physically draining when his first instinct was to send wind to whip the enemy back and away from the girl wielding the sacred sword. Time was precious, he knew, and his senses told him that Ren's was dwindling quickly. Ayano would have to do without his defense. He departed with a dismissive smirk, sure it would only cause her powers to blaze more brightly. That, if nothing else, would aid her.

With a heart beating too fast to be contained by his chest, Kazuma hurled wind down between the young blonde and the dark forces of the youma set to devour his soul. In a way, he couldn't believe that he had actually caught the boy in time. On the other hand, he'd known he would because it was why he had these powers at all so he could always be there in time. Lifting the spirit from Ren gave him time to gather himself, to force a lightness into his tone. Ren should never understand how close he stood to death because of Kazuma's failure.

When the head of the Fuga clan spoke, Kazuma was hard pressed to contain his anger at the man who had put Ren in jeopardy to begin with. Here stood the man who had plotted this revenge carefully and mercilessly. He questioned Kazuma, understanding that grief of being suppressed, appealing to his darker nature. But it was Ren. If he had chosen anyone but this innocent Kannagi as his sacrifice, Kazuma had to wonder if he would have bothered to go after them. While he enjoyed this speculation, the idea that he could turn cold-heartedly away from the family as they had done to him, he knew that too his marrow he would have protected anyone who had been selected as a sacrifice. It was in his nature more than any dark side the Fuga had relied upon. But still he enjoyed the shock that traveled through the crowd when he mentioned the money. Their plans had been disrupted by a price tag, and it gave him a sense of power of them, like he had something concrete and worldly while their precious dream hadn't been strong enough to support their decision. Their attack on him was predictable and uniform, and he took pleasure in deflecting it with a wave of his arm.

Something cold shot through him, wrapping around his heart and squeezing the very breath out of him. His attention turned to the man once again darkening the sky. It meant Ayano had lost, Enraiha hadn't protected her so well as he would have thought. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind, determined to focus on Ryuya and ignore the urge to leave this battle and search her out now.

If he couldn't defeat this youma, she wouldn't survive anyway he knew. He clutched Ren to his chest, drawing upon the winds to shield them, hoping that Ayano had her own shelter for the time being as the youma grew in hatred and a dark obsession. He knew it was bleak, but he was glad that it had killed the Fuga clan. Their deaths meant he could leave, walk away and towards the pull being exerted upon him. Ren was safe, and now he couldn't contain this need to be doing something, anything, besides fighting the fools who didn't understand the power they had been willing to kill to unleash.

He'd tried to disguise it to Ren. Of course he would pursue the youma. He wasn't about to save Ren only to have it hunt him down later. But he had to stop. He had to find her and protect her too.

Before he landed, he could tell she was in a bad condition. He stayed back at first, afraid of what he might find if he approached, but he could sense her presence even if she was unconscious. Carefully he knelt beside her, lifting her torso and examining the wound on her neck that practically pulsed with evil energy. The idea of a spirit eating away at her vitality seemed impossible even as it was happening right before his eyes.

He had the vial in his pocket, like he always did, just in case. That something that was his last chance, the one card he always kept up his sleeve in every fight in case his powers ever deserted him so he would never be completely powerless again. A part of him was afraid to give that up. Another part feared that even if he used it, it wouldn't be enough, and he would be forced to watch another life drain away.

"Is that little bottle of medicine more important to you than Ayano's life?" Ren demanded as Kazuma held it between his fingers. Kazuma had to suppress a smile despite the situation. He hadn't seen his brother in four years, but the child was obviously a righteous one. Perhaps Ayano had something to do with that. More than the medicine, Kazuma needed to know that Ren would be able to protect himself against further attacks. While taunting him had managed to keep some of Kazuma's pride intact, it had also reassured Kazuma that if nothing else, Ren had his righteous anger to protect him, that he was truly in sync with the fire spirits now.

Eagerly, he gathered Ayano into his arms and attempted to tilt the golden liquid against her lips, but the plush surfaces wouldn't give way. He hesitated only a moment before pouring it into his own mouth, feeling it slid across his tongue like honey warmed by his mouth. Trying to ignore the presence of Ren, he pressed his lips to hers, prodding them apart. The honey washed from him to her, though he kept his hand buried in that silky red hair, his lips to hers, far longer than it took for the liquid to slip into her system. His eyes closed, he could feel his sense drinking her in as surely as she was drinking from him. The very spirit of her was pressed against his in a flash of heat as she healed, her lips warming, and he felt his palm tingle where it was pressed to the back of her neck. He heard her gasp, and it sent a pleasurable shiver through him before he found himself shoved back and away. For reasons he didn't want to even consider, disappointment sliced through him.

So she hadn't felt it, the sensation that had swamped him. For her, all he had done was take advantage of a weakness, her weakness. If her opinion was so determined to sink low, he would let it, he decided. He could hear Ren behind him now, chattering on and her responses, but all he could wonder was why she hadn't felt as he had. What magical force was acting so strongly upon him all the while repulsing her?

"That's supposed to be the rarest medicine in the world right?" He heard Ren's voice, but still his mind was on Ayano, the woman he had gotten to hold in his arms for only seconds, possibly the only few seconds he would get with her now.

"Tell me about it. I'll probably never be able to get my hands on it again." He said, uncomfortable with the way his temper seemed to spike at the depressing thought. It shouldn't have been depressing to begin with, he told himself. But he had to act normal. She couldn't know that he had poured more of his spirit into her than elixir.

He found himself angry. Angry that he had been pulled back into the Kannagi family. Angry at Ren's near experience. Angry at the loss of the hope he hadn't wanted to admit was blossoming in his chest when he saw Ayano. Angry that she had been so at risk and that he had just left her there when he could so easily have overpowered Ryuya. If he could make her angry too, then maybe he could relieve some of the pressure building his chest like a weight.

He caught her wrist as her sword arced down, and he reassured himself with the knowledge that there was still a youma out there. He still had more time. Swinging her into his grasp, he enjoyed the feel of her back pressed to his chest even though it couldn't last, that she wasn't there of her own volition so much as she was out of duty and possibly even a little confusion at his maneuver.

It felt good to have his arm at her waist, anchoring her to his side where he could properly watch over her, where his sense could drink her in and be soothed and excited all at once. Perhaps he used a little more wind force than was strictly necessary, but he couldn't resist the way she clung to him. Flying with these two, he felt indecently content.

Finding the youma again changed that. Was Ayano really so prepared to die? Because he wasn't convinced that he could say the same about her. Somehow he felt that her loss would take more life and color out of the world that any one person ought to be able to do. His temper soared at the idea that her father had been so careless as to be willing to let her sacrifice herself simply to end some nondescript youma. He didn't want her fighting youma, he wanted her fighting to survive for him, though it knew it was selfish.

When Ren hit the forest floor, Kazuma was overwhelmed with pride, and the strange sensation that finally he had Ayano to himself. It was short-lived as they caught up and grounded the youma. But she was careless, and it caused his heart to constrict in more ways than he cared to admit when he saw how exposed she was. Catching her against his chest, his kept his gaze fixed ahead, resisting the urge to shove her back behind him so his body was between her and the threat. But he hadn't inherited Enraiha for a reason, she would have to go back at him.

It was killing him slowly, but at least this time he had some power to appeal to.

He opened his eyes, instantly searching for the red hair. He found it, and his feet started moving before he'd fully registered the fact that she was on the ground and the youma was towering over her. But then it happened. The orange flame that burst forth from her halted him in awe. She was too young to have harnessed such power, but still he watched with wonder as she fought more than a goddess of fire than simply a servant of it. The Kannagis, in all their combined power, hadn't been able to defeat the youma all those years ago, so Kazuma knew it was ridiculous to expect Ayano to accomplish it on her own. Still, he wouldn't have been surprised with the amount of energy pouring from her.

Finally he let himself go to her, wrapping them in a protective wind as she fell back against him. He caught her, feeling as if he had won some sort of precious trust from her though he didn't understand why. He wasn't sure why he'd hidden the fact that he was the contractor before, but admitting it to Ayano seemed right now as if saying that he had the blessing of the Spirit King of the Wind might also mean somehow the he deserved hers too.

Lifting his warm gaze from hers, he could feel the borrowed power bubbling inside of him, prepared to end the threat and reassure himself that he was still the protector. Caging the youma with his wind, he engulfed her hand in his, thrilling at the fact that she let him. A foreign emotion sprung into his chest, softening his smile. He couldn't deny that watching her strike came with a certain sort of joy before the spirits left him, taking their strength with them.

Keeping his eyes closed, he relished the aftermath. His body was tired, but safe. The sun was warm on his face, and he could feel Ayano nearby. He couldn't resist one last taunt though, and he quickly found himself hauled out of his comfortable position into a far more interesting one.

They both got what they wanted.

She got to defeat the youma and keep her life, and he'd gotten to watch and partner her magnificent power. Of course, there was the added bonus of finding her disheveled dress as she perched on top of him. Quite honestly, he was in no hurry to move if not for the fact he could feel Ren approaching. If she kept sitting that way much longer, he rather thought she'd be feeling something too.


	4. Injustice Chapter 4

He'd been late for a reason. Showing up on the Kannagi compound to save Ren had been one thing, but being invited to a meal made statements and the only message he was interested in sending was that he didn't care anymore, that their rituals meant nothing. It hadn't been hard for him to delay leaving at all. Though he would never admit it, the idea of returning left him feeling shaky and hot, suspiciously similar to unwelcome nervousness. He went if only to play it cool.

When Ayano's eyes met his the moment the door slid open, it occurred to him that he'd made a mistake. She was the real reason he should have been nervous. Walking by, it was like his entire being shifted in order for focus more on her energy. While Jugo made his speech and Ayano shot daggers at him with those incredible eyes of hers, Ren was the only welcome Kazuma was willing to put up with though he wouldn't have minded at least a smile from Ayano. It came as no surprise that there was hardly any other warm regards to be found amongst the group, however.

His senses were hyper focused in her presence so that even the jealousy he felt towards Ren when Ayano wrapped her arms around him in comfort felt stinging, clenching around his lungs painfully. Still, he could feel the dark energy of hatred, and it relieved him to no end that while irritation was clearly in Ayano's vibe, the feminine hatred spicing the air around him was clearly not hers.

The girl facing him was small, with a modest purple robe and short black hair to frame her delicate face. She would be quite pretty someday, he concluded, even if she was no head-turner like her cousin. He knew her. The memory was faint from age, worn about the edges, but he could still see it in her eyes, the stubborn set of her chin. The difference that time had brought to her was not pleasant or pure though.

Cupping her chin in his hand, he used it as an excuse to read her eyes, and therefore her true feelings.

"Ask you for anything, huh?" He murmured, recognizing the determination that blazed in her eyes was what had brought her here to this point, to him. That, and some sort of soul-deep loneliness that had been engraved upon her pain. She would do anything, he realized. Something had brought her to her brink. Keeping his eyes open as she shut hers, he leaned closer, considering the possibilities for why she was so full of hatred.

It wasn't until Ayano landed between them that he even remembered she was there, which was a first for him. He'd been so intent on saving this one girl, on righting this wrong, that he'd been able to finally cleanse himself of this constant need to touch her, to simply watch her ever expression. Now it was angry, as per its usual. He could have sworn that there was also a flash of something else though. Disappointment? Maybe even hurt? For some reason, it left him feeling smug and content despite the riddle of Misao. It was short lived once her accusations began, and again he fell to feeling small in her presence, his contentment vanished.

Watching the two of them closely though, he could finally see it.

"He took revenge for the death of my brother." She was saying, but he could see in her eyes that wasn't what she believed. He understood now, and couldn't blame her for wanting to unleash that fury building inside of her at the injustice of it all.

"You shouldn't thank me. Doesn't really make much sense. I mean, what do you have to be grateful for? After all, I'm responsible for your brother's death." The widening of her eyes and her intake of breath only confirmed his conclusion. Misao was there to kill him. "I understand if you blame me, so you can go ahead and use the blade hidden in your sleeve." He assured her, standing.

When the blade came, he actually considered it for a moment, letting it sink in. Wouldn't it be a relief to everyone, causing harm to none? In the end though, his sense of self-preservation was too strong, and his powers protected him far more ably than anything he could have done for himself before. Ayano's voice calling to him, almost as if she cared, confused him more than Misao had before though.

"She couldn't have hurt me if she tried." It was occurring to Kazuma that within this family, there was only one female who could ever do that to begin with. It left him feeling weak, and therefore defensive. That brother of Misao had died by the hand of a far more powerful spirit, yet Kazuma wanted to blame someone else for this feeling of inadequacy.

"Have you forgotten?" Ayano accused, and he had to shut his eyes. Because no, he had never forgotten how it felt to be defenseless, to have no power over the elements around you as fate ripped away everything that was good and pure. The only thing that could leave him cowering was the idea that it could happen again to him, anywhere, anytime despite these so-called gifts of the wind. Maybe he wasn't as strong as she supposed, and by God he never wanted her to know that.

He'd already had an appointment with Kirika Tachibana to discuss the mishap at his hotel. He couldn't blame her for her suspicions that it was him either. She'd known him for far too long to believe he could have simply released the kind of bone-deep anger he'd carried in his quest for vengeance. The meeting place was a sordid hotel, but he didn't mind. Somehow it felt more right to meet there like a low-class spy than in the formal room of the entire Kannagi family. When they left, Kirika took his arm, and any suspicions that they weren't there for the hotel's services were dispelled so no one could wonder why the detective of strange cases was looking into a rumored magic user.

The brush of Ayano's energy across his felt like a cruel trick of fate, however. There she was in the middle of the sidewalk, adorably flustered, and all he could do was shut his eyes and bear it as Kirika molded herself closer. For some reason, he felt like he had to keep Ayano from her, like she was some secret that he didn't want her to taint with innuendo or knowing winks. Leaving Ayano practically in a puddle of her own confused anger, he started Kirika walking away as soon as he could, hoping she wouldn't notice the way his eyes slid over to the red-haired girl as they passed, resting on her flushed cheeks and turned up nose. He considered changing the wind so it would carry their voices to him. Surely the two girls she'd been with could offer him some perspective. But he decided against it, almost afraid of what he'd hear if he tried.

The call of Misao, despite her murderous intentions, was a timely relief. When she appeared, he took a moment to wonder if this was how Ayano would look outside of her school uniform, her form nicely outlined for his perusal. This constant heat of her energy upon his, however, was exhausting, like trying to resist the rays of the sun kissing your face.

The force of wind he called down upon Misao after her attack seemed a bit much even to him. The attack had been brutish, but probably usually effective. As he'd said earlier, he didn't blame her. Ayano's appearance in the gate beside Ren caused a strange sort of protective instinct to flare up to the surface though, as if simply being there near his attackers made her vulnerable. He would admit to possibly even showing off a little too.

It scared him. How easily both he and Misao had changed. He remembered her so differently. She was strong. Not physically like Ayano, but in a kind and caring sort of way that only shy and naïve girls seem able to manage. What killed him was the knowledge that he had corrupted that as she'd transitioned from girl to woman.

That strength had been torn from her. It was clear that the only thing left to her was anger, and it was hardly enough, which was clear by the pathetic excuse for a fire he saw blazing between her palms as he came upon her facing down Ayano and her inferno of a sword. He couldn't forgive himself for taking that from her.

"She can't even put a scratch on me." With his eyes he tried to communicate how sorry he was for that. It seemed unfair that he could take so much from her and she could take nothing from him, not even a little bit of skin and blood. If he could just drain the fury too, then maybe he could excuse himself somehow too.

When she was drained, gasping for breath between her tears that mingled with the rain on her cheeks, he offered her his jacket, hoping it would show her. But she pushed him away, and he could feel her loneliness stretch like a void. He understood it too well. He had always done what he needed, so he couldn't begrudge her the same right against him.

"Do what you have to do."


	5. The Bait Chapter 5

He'd felt Ayano's approach long before he heard her crisp knock at the door of his hotel. Taking a moment to compose himself, he was careful to keep his expression neutral as he opened the door to her unsmiling face.

"Oh it's you. What's up?" He asked because obviously something had to have brought her here.

"Yeah well sorry to disappoint you." She retorted brushing by him. He stared after her a moment, confused by what the strange sense of nervousness he seemed to be reading from her.

"That's not what I meant. Don't be so freaking sensitive." He couldn't tell her of the way his heart had leapt when he'd first seen a glimpse of her face through the opening in the door, the slight thrill of the mystery of why she was here now on his doorstep. Her obvious distain for him made it easier though to be standoffish. "What are you doing here anyway?" It was increasingly obvious that she wasn't there for him even as she looked about her as if searching for some dirty secret he might have stashed away in his hotel room. "You look nervous. Don't tell me that you're freaked out to be in a guy's room."

He hoped she said yes because he was certainly nervous having her there and not being able to touch her or even fully appreciate her with the way her glower was firmly fixed to her face. Not that he was seeing much after an envelope was plastered to his.

"How many times have I said I'm here on business?" Ayano demanded. All taunts aside, Kazuma was weary of her tone. Obviously it was something important for her father to have sent her to him like this.

"That's actually the first time you've said it." He answered, feeling the burden of responsibility for whatever was in that folder.

The victims caught his attention immediately. Young and full of energy. Now who did that remind him of? Somehow the easy pairing of him with Ayano on this seemed strange, like Jugo was interfering with more than his professional life though Kazuma couldn't put his finger on why. He wasn't one to act on impulse, preferring instead to plan and methodize for a concise conclusion. He pushed Jugo to the back of his mind, forcing himself to focus on the details of the current victims. Their energy seemed a good place to start.

One hundred possible people was an incredible amount of energy, yet between Ayano and himself, there was more energy in the room with them than there was in the entire country of Japan. His first impulse was to keep her as near as possible for an inevitable attack. Instead he pushed his mind outside of the boundary of protective instincts, forcing himself to consider that the sooner the attack on her came, the less victims would be hurt in the future. Logically, he knew he could trust her to defend herself.

It wasn't necessarily wrong to say she was becoming a burden to him anyway.

"Did you just say what I thought you said?" The slit of her eyes should have warned him of the oncoming assault. "You're the burden, you jerk! And don't worry, I'll never help you again! Even if you're dying and screaming in pain!" With her exit announced by the slam of his door, he took a moment to let his smile creep to the surface. Hadn't he known from the start that she would be a force, he reminded himself. Oh but it was undeniably cute he also admitted. Then he picked up his jacket and alighted from his window because above all, he couldn't let her wander off now. He'd promised himself that he would protect her against this thing.

The fact that she could radiate that much anger outside of the pressure of a fight was beyond his expectations, resulting in both pride and concern. Perhaps she would play her part a little too well as his bait.

It surprised him how easy it was to track her energy, to pinpoint its exact location despite the layer of protection the poison about her seemed to have created. He simply could feel it.

The poison was in the very air itself once he penetrated it. Surrounding the girls was a strange sort of organism, pulsing and growing despite the slice of Enraiha. For some reason, he felt absolute rage at this invasion despite the fact he had both expected and orchestrated the situation, like it was trying to infest his personal property rather than a public street.

It was nice to be greeted by a smile this time though, he decided even as he reminded her to face forward. Fighting alongside her, covering her back as she'd trusted him to do, it all felt natural. When the source was gone, the poison slowly leaking away, a strange calm enveloped him and his mind cleared. Despite the hum of voices around him, the contentment of their safety allowed him to seek out the true source. It was only right that the first thing he see when he again opened his eyes was Ayano's face. Her serene countenance caused an unfamiliar sensation right in his midsection, and he quickly informed Ayano of the part she'd played, glad when her usual anger came back and he was able to feel normal again.

"You can whine about it later." He told her, lifting into the air, glad to have assured himself that there would indeed be a later. How could there not be?

"You idiot!" He could hear her shouting below as the connection he felt to her went slack and grew the more distance he put between them.

Sick and dark as the aura he was chasing was, Kazuma could still sense Misao beneath it, the slightest beacon of goodness. She was so calm, confident in her justice against him. He felt sick, cold with the ramifications of what he'd done all just so he could show the bullies of his childhood that he'd become stronger.

"I don't care how much power you have, you're still just a human." Her words, softly uttered, froze him from the inside out. The horrible idea that she knew somehow, that she'd seen the weakness he was carrying inside of him despite all of his contractor powers.

Hearing Ayano's voice was like admitting to those weaknesses. He needed her gone, safe from this dark woman and her dark desires that would feed off such weaknesses.

He should have known she would never listen and just leave quietly. Instead she took her stand, her posture that of a woman in charge, the woman who would one day lead her family with that power that blazed inside of her.

But there were things she couldn't understand about him, things that Misao was seeing about herself. Ayano had purity inside of her and because of that she couldn't possibly fight the dark that was spreading within Misao.

He put his hand to Ayano's, hoping to remove the sword from her grasp as easily as he had once before. She asked him to let go.

"I won't." He wondered if he ever would be able to even as she forced him to rear back from the cascade of flamed surrounding her. She was at her most magnificent, and yet also at her most impulsive.

If Misao escaped them now, even the pure flame of Ayano would be no match. It was almost humorous how little she actually understood of what was happening here. How could she ramble on about duty when she couldn't see the pain in Misao's eyes? They hadn't put them there, so who were they to try and break her from it now?

"Just who the hell do you think you're talking to, little girl?" He growled. She was ill-prepared for the force of that one girl, yet she was bold enough to challenge him? It would get her killed someday, and he welcomed the chance to show her just that before she went and did something they both would regret.

Alone, above the rooftops of the city, Kazuma felt that this was his place. He watched everything, noticed everything. So it fell to him to protect everything.


	6. The Decision Chapter 6

Lost in his memories of painful heat and the burns of his childhood, Kazuma nearly missed the feel of her aura brushing against his. His first indication was the spark appearing above him in the night sky followed by the blaze of true fire. He could withstand it attack with his wind, but nothing more even when Ayano came upon him with the full force of her sword. At first he was mystified, then amused and even a little pleased. He had extended an invitation, and now here she was, determined to prove herself to him. If anything, he could only admire that.

"Wow. You're not doing all that bad." He told her. Just to tease though, rather than fight as she'd clearly hoped he would, he fell back. They were in the air, his element.

Catching her in his arms felt natural, like he was simply collecting another part of himself. With her eyes screwed shut against the sight of the quickly on-coming ground, he had the chance to admire her up close, allowing himself a small smile at her stubbornness. When her eyes opened slowly, a blush spread fetchingly across her cheeks.

"You saved me?" She questioned in a high voice. As if he could have done anything else.

"So that was a pretty impressive attack coming from you." He told her, dodging the question, prolonging the moment of having her in his arms.

"I wasn't trying to impress you!" She retorted, clearly nervous.

"Hey, wait." He replied. "You're saying you were seriously trying to kill me?" Though he highly doubted that was the case, it was still fun to test her, as if she could ever accomplish that in mid-air when he had been the only thing holding her above the ground during her attack. If anything, she had simply been out to wound his pride with a slight prick from the edge of her sword while she delayed him from going to Misao.

"That's right, idiot!" She yelled with a bit too much enthusiasm for a would-be cold hearted killer.

"Oh. Well then." He let go, wondering if she wouldn't cling to him for a moment or two since she'd so trustingly been allowing him to support all of her weight up until then. In true Ayano fashion, however, she plummeted straight to the ground, where he noticed for the first time Ren was waiting for her.

While his brother was recovering on the floor, Ayano leapt to her feet, embarrassed and baffled by her own lack of prowess.

"Let me guess. You were trying to buy some time?" Kazuma assumed, coming down beside her. "Did you even have a follow up attack or was that it?" That blush appeared again, her small hands clenching. Adorable. Fascinatingly, her small face lit up suddenly.

"Do you really think I'd be stupid enough to challenge you without having some sort of backup strategy to finish you off?"

"Yeah, I do." He confessed because really, it was quite clear she hadn't planned this whole thing through. After all, she had jumped off a building with only her intended victim to catch her. For all the time he'd spent with her, he'd learned a few things about her habits and the way her mind worked. "You're a creature of instinct." He told her, enjoying the fierce look of her gaze. "You think with your gut, not your brain." Not that he'd ever tell her, but it was actually something he admired about her. Lost within his own mind and memories, Kazuma often felt trapped by himself while she could simply act with all the righteousness of her own instinct. Clearly she found the comment less than complimentary, however.

"Oh yeah, well what do you think about this?" She suddenly announced, and he found himself looking into Ren's confused and slightly embarrassed face.

Kazuma could only stare. Up until this point, he'd been slowly developing some regard for Ayano, despite her being a Kannagi. Using Ren as her shield, when they both knew Kazuma could attack her without ever laying a scratch on him, left him in doubt of her defensive abilities. That alone was enough cause for concern, added on was her strange pride in having put Ren between them as if she had been a master strategist.

"You should be ashamed of yourself as the next head of the Kannagi family if that's the best you've got." Honestly, it was a pitiful and desperate attempt he'd hoped she was better than.

"I just need you to stick around long enough while they finish dealing with Misao." She was saying.

"I don't think that's how it's going to turn out."

"What do you mean?" The surprise on her face reminded him of a child. Holding up his fingers, he counted down until the explosion of power they had forgotten to account for while considering how best to delay him. It was the deaths of numerous extensions of the Kannagi clan, he knew, and he probably should have felt some remorse. But he kept remembering those flames, the heat scorching his skin, the fear of another attack, and he couldn't quite bring himself to regret anything except the fact that he had been the one to drive the killer to this point.

The look of serenity on Misao's face as he approached left him cold, though he knew any emotion on his part would only show as a weakness to this dark power that had invaded the girl.

"The only true family I have is…"

"Is your brother." He finished for her, reliving that scene at the construction site. Could he have done it differently? Saved him? Saved her?

"The time has come for you to pay for my brother's death."She informed him, her voice soft and calm as death.

"Fine."

Her fire had grown dark, so different from the fire he had seen blazing his way in the sky just a few minutes ago from the every-bright Ayano. It was easily dispelled because it had lost its light.

He could see the panic setting in as Misao stumbled back a few steps, away from both him and from Ayano, who it was clear felt only anger towards the girl she had once tried to protect from him.

"What pathetic pervert told you that?" Ayano was demanding when a new voice entered, slithering through the air.

"Such a rude little girl." Kazuma ignored his first instinct, which was to place himself between Ayano and the owner of that voice, a pathetic little blonde who looked no older than a boy.

Kazuma kept himself back, bracing for whatever this stranger had planned. It was clear that whatever connection Misao had with him had been a delicate web of lies and betrayal. What purpose could there be in so breaking her fragile heart now, he had to wonder as he scream of self-denial pierced the air. When her body hit the ground, he could sense the energy leaking from her, and he understood.

"That aura is really vicious."Ayano observed, regarding the scene before them with contempt.

The dark aura of her vengeance was quickly soaking into the stranger, who stood with a satisfied smirk as it surrounded and pulsed through him. He was watching Kazuma as if waiting for something from him. The idea that he had used Misao only to attack him made his heart clench.

_In the name of stars and wisdom_.

It jarred a memory, one he would rather keep buried deep and never again examine. "Think hard Kazuma. You cannot bury your memories forever." The stranger – Michael – was saying. If it was his emotions he wanted, Kazuma feared they would only strengthen that dark aura, making Kazuma weak to his power. But he was strong now, and this was why.

"Thank you for reminding me."

If anything, Kazuma was only more determined that he keep Misao alive. No others could fall to that line, like stars and wisdom corrected the wrong done to them.

"What about the Kannagi's purifying magic?" He wondered aloud, looking to Ayano.

"Great idea. How about you come up with a plan one of us can actually pull off." She suggested dryly.

"Are you still serious about trying to save Misao?" She wondered, worry creeping into her tone.

"Of course I am." He replied instantly with conviction, his eyes on the dragon and the soul trapped within. He could feel Ayano watching him. The energy about her spiked, and before he knew it, she was sprinting towards the menace. To his horror, he watched her launch attack after attack, her face pained by whatever was in her mind, until the dragon somehow grew tentacles that would be about her body before she could change directions.

He'd barely even registered that he'd moved before he could feel her close to him, the heat of her body warming his as a powerful slice of magic emanated from him. He sighed a breath of relief before looking at her, and finding her eyes still tightly closed as if it were merely a bad dream.

"Did the bad dragon scare you?" He teased, gripping her a little closer. "Open your eyes."

Barely seconds had passed before she was angry at him again, though this time he really couldn't pinpoint the reason.

"Whose side are you on?" She demanded as their feet touched the ground.

"Why are you always talking about sides?" He wanted to know. "I've got the power to protect _all_ of you and that's what I'm going to do."

"Protect all of us?" She repeated, looking at him with that calm, puzzled look in her eyes that scared him. A quiet Ayano was one too beautiful to be puzzled over, too questioning to be ignored, and too damn intent.

"I didn't acquire this power to let people die." Of all people, he'd expected her to understand that. Hadn't that been the part of her that drew him to her the moment she'd stood intent to defend Ren from becoming some sacrifice? "I have a responsibility to protect others now. I'm going to save Misao." He owed that to her at the very least, seeing as it was his fault she'd let her soul fall this far. "But I'll defend you and Ren." The way she was looking at him, with hope and understanding dawning in her eyes left him feeling as if he were on uncertain ground with all the confidence in the world, a strange combination. "The only person who is going to die is that cocky little bastard back there. That alright with you?" He asked mostly to get her to snap back into her fighting mindset.

"Yeah, of course. Sounds good to me." She replied though she still sounded as if she were in a daze. He had to smile because it was as if it hadn't occurred to her that sometimes he wasn't always so selfish and egotistical.

When he tried to summon the will to fly though, a jagged pain shot through his chest, dropping him to his knees.

"You're bleeding." Ayano gasped, her hands on his arms, her face too close. "This happened when you rescued me didn't it." The regret in her voice had his anger spiking.

"It's nothing. I'm okay." He instantly replied, feeling as if he had to assure her that it wasn't her fault, that he didn't care that he'd been hurt when it could have been her.

"No, you're not." She argued without her usual temper, but more determination. "You've been hurt. And right now you've got to stop the bleeding and try to recover. Ren and I will hold him off until you get back on your feet, okay?"

"I can't just leave you two to deal with this on your own." Not when this was on him. Misao, and any pain she had suffered, was all his fault. He'd accepted it, and he wasn't going to let Ayano take the brunt of that whether he was bleeding or not. If he could, he'd have left her there while he went to fight the dragon, but he knew that he needed Enraiha, so they'd have to work as a team. Without him, without his powers, they couldn't even put a scratch on the beast.

"Listen, idiot!" She retorted, catching him by surprise as she gripped his collar. Where was the Ayano of moments ago with a soft, worried voice? The woman in her place was fierce, with wide, angry eyes and a blazing temper to match. "You want to protect Misao, don't you? And you just told me you're going to protect me and Ren. Well you're not doing us any good bleeding to death. You made a promise and I'm holding you to it! So you'd better stay out of the way until you've recovered or you're going to have to deal with me!" Stunned, he could practically feel the righteous anger burning within her, more powerful than the darkness that was still sickening the air around them. Oddly enough, he trusted her with Misao's life. He couldn't remember the last time he had entrusted a life that was his responsibility to another.

He let himself hug her, hold her to him and feel the spark of their merged auras. In his arms, she felt like a woman, as proud and confident in her abilities as he was.

"Kazuma?"

"No what? I think you might actually turn out to be a damn fine woman one of these days, kid." He told her, his breath stirring the hairs on the nape of her neck.

"What do you mean I might turn out to be?" She replied hotly, rather than just taking the compliment. "Thanks for the lack of confidence, but I know I'll be a good woman."

"Guess we'll just have to see." He wasn't sure when, but sometime in the last few moments he'd come to a decision. He'd wait. Wait for her powers to grow, for her to mature. He'd be there for that, and when the time was right, then maybe he'd take his chances with the hothead. But for now… "Give me five minutes. Just keep him busy." He hoped that was enough of a warning to keep her from charging him with the intent to kill only to end up bleeding herself.

When Ayano ran off to join Ren, another whose life he was entrusting to her, Kazuma called upon the wind spirits, his mind cool and clear despite the pain. The answer to their problems, coming from the spirits as they healed and powered him, surprised even Kazuma.

"Well that didn't take long." She told him as he appeared behind her, a little grin lighting her intent face.

"I try." He replied, enjoying the view from behind as the breezes played around them. "Now, what do you say we torch this dragon and pull Misao out of there?"

"Haven't we established that that's impossible for me to do?"

"We'll see about that."

With that, he lifted his hand, splaying his fingers as his magic lifted from his skin. When it touched the fire, a strange sort of searing occurred, painless yet white hot, their magic mingling in the space between them and around her sword, the flames going from yellow to blue. The spirits around her summoned the flame even as those around him harnessed it.

_The azure flame_. Kazuma reflected. _Eyes as blue as the azure sky_…

"Not to burst your bubble, but it's my power fueling the flame. Now show me what you can do with it."

All he could do was stand back and watch as she flew off, lifted by his power, towards the beast. Magnificent flames engulfed its form, spreading from her sword before it melted away and Kazuma was finally able to rise up and meet her upon her descent.

"I collected the energy of a thousand people!" Michael was ranting. "And there's only two of them. How can the two of you be this powerful."

Though their auras were no longer unified by the power of the spirit king, Kazuma could still feel them overlapping, somehow still merged like a tether between them.

Misao was lying just a few yards away. In true Kannagi spirit, she thought the loss of her life was the answer, and it made him angry. "You need to forget about the dead and get your priorities in order." He lectured. It seemed an impossible task, he knew. Surely time was the only answer. There was no atonement for not being strong enough though. The knowledge that this girl wouldn't die though, left him relieved.

"Whatever you want then." She had said, and he knew that from now on, she would make it.

"Alright then. Why don't we…" The sudden ball of fire hurled his way was a close call even for him, and he wasn't entirely convinced that an angry Ayano was a sane one, despite Ren's best attempts.

Misao was returned to the compound under the watchful eyes of both Ayano and her father. It wasn't until she had written to tell him that she had joined a nunnery that he was even allowed to check up on her, if only because for the first while, the memories had been to fresh for her.

"Why did you save me?" She asked. With the snow falling about them, little cold droplets on his skin, it was hard to remember the feel of fire on him, the slow burn, tears of agony. But it was easy to remember how they had been stopped by this one small child.

"You helped me because of when we were children?"

The answer was no. He had helped her because he remembered that child, strong and pure, and that had been torn away from her because of what he'd done. He'd wanted to return that to her, even if he couldn't give her back her brother. But how could he explain all that? So instead he just said, "Something like that."

"What?" Ayano fumed. He grinned because she finally had her answer on why he had wanted to save Misao so badly, and it hadn't met up with her expectation or imaginings apparently. "Is he serious?" He had to wonder what kind of wild fantasies she'd considered, desperately wondering what could possibly drive a man to save the woman who had tried to kill him on multiple occasions. But then again, wasn't Ayano in the same boat now?

"I'll drop in alone sometimes since you still haven't repaid me." He told Misao, giving her a wink. An answering spark of laughter appeared in her eyes and voice.

"I'll be here." She said, though they both knew the only reason he cared was because it bothered Ayano. Kazuma could see that Misao knew what he'd decided to himself, at least in a way.

"Don't tell me you're still harassing her." Ayano said, following him even as she scolded him. Knowing she couldn't see his face, Kazuma allowed himself a fond smile as her voice carried on the wind to him.


	7. Ayano's Antics Chapter 7

It was suspicious to say the least. After all, Kazuma could hardly believe that Jugo had entrusted his daughter with the sacred sword of the Kannagis and set her after every youma in the country for four years only now to be deciding that she was in desperate need of a protector, especially since the protector in question would be an outcast of the family. All things considered, it was apparent that Jugo had something quite different in mind. Still, Kazuma was being offered an opportunity to follow around what had to be the most fascinating girl in Japan. The entertainment value alone was enough of an incentive, as well as the excuse of money so that he could feel entitled to the show.

Ayano's reaction to the news didn't disappoint. "Someone from the branch families would probably just get in my way." She said calmly.

"I assure you that won't be a problem." Her father replied, which Kazuma took as his cue. Leaning on the doorjam, he waited for the realization that they were going to be spending practically all of their time together sink in.

"Kazuma?"

"Ayano." He replied, relishing the feel of her name on his tongue.

"What are you doing? We're kind of in the middle of a meeting here, you know?"

"Well, someone's a little edgy. Don't worry, if we get out there and it's too much for you to handle, I'll step in and save you."

"He's my bodyguard?" She demanded, somehow managing to glare at him without completely turning her head to look at him. "There's no way!"

"Very well, Ayano." Her father said softly and Kazuma felt a tinge of disappointment that it had been decided that easily. "You may stay here and I will send Kazuma with someone from the special investigations unit." Which he had to admit sounded beyond dull despite the money. A mysterious blush spread across Ayano's cheeks though. What could she be thinking about?

"Just kidding!" She suddenly announced. "I'd be happy to do it. This is my school we're talking about and I wouldn't dare trust this to outsiders."

"Good." Kazuma said, grabbing her by the arm. "Then let's go."

"I'm counting on you." Jugo informed them as they left. Not that he would admit it, but the idea of spending the night in a dark school alone with Ayano sounded far more appealing than it really should have to Kazuma.

"Why would you even consider a job like this? It's not your style at all." Ayano asked as soon as they made it to the school. Watching her from the corner of his eye, he shrugged.

"Yeah, but the money is incredible." It wasn't because of her that way, right?

"I'm not sensing anything out of the ordinary. Are you sensing anything right now?" She was asking. Besides her, right? Besides that warm glow that was emanating from her the darker it got, the colder it got?

"I'm just here as your bodyguard. I've got my own job to do. This whole paranormal investigation is yours."

"I know that, but…" They both paused when they heard the rustle of a bush, and Kazuma mentally scolded himself for not sensing them sooner even as Ayano was already fully aflame. Dropping the toe of his shoe in front of her, she tripped, her fire flaring high above them as he steadied her with a hand at her waist.

"What are you doing?" She demanded and in reply he pointed her towards the bushes, where her two friends were mumbling their greetings.

Their little chit-chat was a delay he didn't appreciate. Standing apart from them, he studied the school and searched for a sense of some other presence while they talked. It wasn't until he heard his name that he paid attention.

"If you can't handle it, we know Kazuma can." The silly blonde was saying. He sighed, having no intention of adding the two of them to his work load when he'd been planning on having Ayano to himself for the evening.

"I was only hired to protect _you_, Ayano." He informed them, irritated that she wasn't the only one around to be protected in the first place. "So I won't be babysitting anyone else. If they're coming with us, their safety is your problem, got it?"

"You're the most self-centered…" Ayano muttered before being caught off-guard by the giggling of her friends, which had Kazuma glancing back as well.

"I think it's sweet, Ayano. He's saying he's totally devoted to protecting you." Quickly Kazuma turned away again in case she saw confirmation clearly written on his face.

"If our being here is messing up your romantic date or whatever, just tell us and we'll be on our way." The other said, and though he kept quiet, he waited for Ayano to send them away.

"I so thought you were better than that." The red-head replied, her temper flaring in her aura, which Kazuma recognized wasn't exactly a denial.

"Hey, are they coming or not?" Kazuma finally asked. "You girls would argue all night if I let you." When he looked over, he found Ayano glowering at him while the other two smiled sweetly. Apparently they were coming then, and he was eager to get this night over with in that case.

Seriously though, did that blonde ever stop talking?

At least Ayano seemed to be showing some sense rather than being enraptured by the idea of a ghost. While it was most likely she was just jaded to the idea of the paranormal with youmas and what not, it was a relief that she wasn't imagining stories to entertain them with. Keeping quiet, he tried to tune them out, focusing instead on the sounds in the school, mostly that of the wind.

"Mr. Stoic would have reacted by now." Ayano said right as a strange disturbance seemed to bounce across his senses. The wind he sent was returned in full force. "Kazuma!" Ayano cried as she fought down her short skirt.

"That wasn't me." He said, but now that he thought about it, he almost wished it had been.

"Did you see it?" She demanded, though he couldn't be sure whether she meant the would-be ghost or up her skirt.

"Not a thing." He assured her. Well it was true. He hadn't seen a thing resembling a ghost, not that he'd been looking. As if reading his mind, Ayano's sword came down on him right as the ball of light hurtled passed them.

As they followed the other two deeper into the school, Kazuma was pleased to find Ayano kept close to him, easily within arm's reach just in case.

"Sensing anything from what happened earlier?" She asked. For a moment, Kazuma was sure she meant wind, which had created more of a show than he'd really bargained for. Of course, that was ridiculous. They were working, right? He had to keep his head straight here with Ayano officially under his protection.

"Nope. Nothing."

"What? But how is that possible? I mean, how can this be the one thing your sense don't pick up on?" He wanted to laugh at how infuriated she sounded by the impairment of his senses when all the while he was very well aware of the fact that it was because of her. His sense were practically soaking in her presence.

"You have a point."

"I knew it! You are hiding something from me." She insisted.

"Maybe I am, and maybe I'm not." He replied, purposely trying to be vague. Then again, he'd been hiding much from her. While he'd been enjoying the view from behind for most of the day, it was more because he knew she couldn't see how keenly he was watching her every move, every nuance. "Why? Cause you can't figure me out and you're just dying to know more?" He teased when in reality it was the same trap he was stuck in with her. He liked the idea that she was just as curious as he was about her.

"Don't dodge the question! I'm not kidding around!" She yelled, taking a fistful of his collar and yanking them face to face. "Tell me what you know, mister!" Oh but she was adorable when riled up. Keeping his eyes to her, he considered telling her. He could simply and calmly inform her of the fact that he spent his time dwelling on her, wondering when would be the appropriate time to make his move. Or…

He could kiss her nose. It was simply too much of a temptation to resist in the first place.

He'd rather hoped for more of a response than her immediate retreat, however. "What did you do that for?"

"No reason." He lied. "It just seemed the quickest way to make you let go of me." After all, he had just kissed her with her friends watching and she hadn't even bothered to look like she'd enjoyed it. "Oh, and by the way, turn around." He said as the light wound its way down the stairs and straight into Ayano. "I've got to be honest with you. I think that's the least graceful thing I've ever seen."

"Oh that's just Ayano. She's always been that way." The blonde one – what was her name again? – told him. He glanced at her, wondering what other little details like that there were to learn about her.

"You know, that's more believable than all of your other stories combined." He hoped she'd tell more.

The evening, if nothing else, only confirmed his realization that Ayano was prone to following her instincts, especially when she felt embarrassed. The number of times she ended up on the ground, stumbling about in pursuit of a simple ball of light. He had to admit though, by the time Ayano was trudging along with her friends behind him, he was getting a little fed up with all the antics himself. The poor girl had fallen down a flight of stairs and was still managing to walk, so he figured things had gone just about far enough. He couldn't exactly go flying across the hall to save her every time she tripped. After all, it was obvious no one meant any real harm.

When he'd finally corralled the three of them into a classroom to dry off and rest, Ayano immediately fell to speculations. Kazuma had been searching for a pattern and found none, only harmless pranks, which pointed to one thing in particular, not that he was certain of this. It was useless for Ayano to speculate about it too though.

"You're lying." She hissed.

"I'm telling the truth." He insisted, leaning in close, brushing his hand across the sweep of her hair across her waist. "Just trust me. Remember, it is my sworn duty to protect you." He reminded her. Was it just him, or had her body just heated up a few degrees?

"Stop dodging the question. I know exactly what you're doing." She said, her voice oddly high.

"Why can't you just believe me?" He asked, watching the play of emotion across her face, restraining himself from brushing his fingers across the curve of her cheek.

Stepping back, he held himself in check, calming his sense and mind while the girls teased Ayano into that cute blush that was heating her face.

"I'm glad you guys got a chance to play boyfriend-girlfriend, but we do have an angry ghost stalking us."

"Who wouldn't fall for him? He's cool."

"Kazuma, say something." Ayano demanded. His senses had found the school yard though and he had no time for their frivolous teasing, nor any interest in denying their claims.

"The school yard. The winds are shifting."

"Why didn't you sense them before?" Ayano wondered.

"It's sort of like tuning out background noise." He said pointedly, thinking of her friends. It was a safer excuse than explaining that he had yet to learn how exactly to tune her aura out, and therefore it had been dominating his senses.

They'd barely made it outside before Ayano was victim once again. He was beginning to feel a fond sort of pity for the girl over this whole thing. It had to be embarrassing.

"Alright, you've managed to upset the princess. Game's over." He said, stepping in with Ayano in tears on the ground. With her friends there, he couldn't exactly comfort her, now could he? He couldn't let them see that something to small as her tears of humiliation were enough to make him uncomfortable. When the fairy didn't immediately agree to come down though, he wasn't above tossing her about a little in return though.

Ayano, more or less recovered, was still prepared to simply kill the annoying bug. "Calm down." Kazuma said, resting his hand on hers over the sword, and she let him.

"They have so much in common." Her friend observed, and he really had to agree, though the fairy seem to have a special sort of annoyance about her.

"I'm nothing like her!" They both argued, pointing at the other, before a full scale war raged between them in silence.

"Hey, don't get upset. I'll make it up to you with dinner sometime, okay?" Kazuma suggested, watching her reaction. It was earlier than he'd really planned on making any moves, but somehow he felt the need to lay some sort of claim over, have some connection besides the money her father was offering him.

"It better cost at least half of what you made on this job." She decreed.

"No problem. Whatever makes you feel better." And ensures that she would come. More than a little pleased with himself, he waited for the fairy to explain herself so they could get out of there.

When the cherry tree blossomed, Kazuma had to stop himself from reaching for Ayano's hand while she watched with wonder in her eyes.

He considered not telling her, he really did. After all of the embarrassment she'd gone through for this, he figured she deserved to think that all of it had been in order to gain some beautiful blossoms and miracles. Unfortunately she caught onto him, reading his quick attention easier than she should have.

"What now?"

"Nothing."

"Don't you nothing me." He sighed, because the only reason he had been able to figure out what they were really up to was because he was doing the exact same thing they had been. As her protector, he had certain responsibilities, even if that meant he was the thing she had to be protected from. Him, and all of his past.

"The best way to protect something is to keep it totally hidden, and no one is going to search for it if they don't know it exists in the first place. The pixies were causing trouble and that's the only reason we went there to investigate. Meaning, they were doing anything but protecting that old cherry tree."

He took a moment, thinking that while Ayano may have been like that pixie in some ways, she was like the tree in others, needing to be kept his secret in a way until things could blossom. "They were really just having some fun." He told them eventually.

"You were having way too much fun watching Ayano go crazy. Naughty, naughty." The blonde realized and he couldn't disagree while they watched Ayano's antics.


	8. One Evening Chapter 8

Following Ayano around had been fun for a while, but it had become a matter of life or death once the winter months hit. The amount of body heat she put off was enough to tempt any man near her despite her raging temper as the air seemed enough to freeze every square inch of skin.

When he'd first arrived this morning, he had come prepared with a coat and scarf. Though styling and cool they may not be, it was better than freezing to death. Just looking at Ayano's bare legs was enough to have him shivering then repressing the urge to unzip his coat and tug her inside of it. He wasn't sure whether that instinct was self-preservation or protective. She'd been less than receptive to his plights of the cold, however. He wouldn't have minded getting cozy in front of some fire inside, but she was determined that the only agenda to be had would include youma hunting. It was the Kannagi tradition, after all, or so he'd been told.

Watching her slice and dice some youma while he huddled deeper into his coat could be a worse way to spend the afternoon though. When she'd finished, waving her sword away with a flourish, he could only applaud at the idea that now they could go home and get inside.

"I can't believe people are actually stupid enough to stand there like a bump on the log. Must be hard being you." She informed him tartly, marching towards him in the now empty warehouse.

"What can I say?" He replied, spreading his arms cheerfully. "It's a tough job but somebody's got to do it."

"What a joke! Let's get one thing straight. I don't need a bodyguard. You're only here because of my dad." Crossing her arms, she shot him a glare and he had to grin.

"Well yeah. Why state the obvious?" He certainly was under no delusions that Ayano was incapable of handling a few random youmas every now and then.

"And by the way, why are you dressed all bundled up like that? You're here to protect me, not watch some soccer game."

"Cause I'm freezing my ass off and can't make my own fire."

"If you're so cold, blow some warm wind in here." She practically shouted.

"What do I look like, a space heater?" He retorted, walking away in the hopes that it would warm him up a little as well as get Ayano headed on the way home to the warm fire. Much longer and he would be forced to grab her just to warm a few parts.

"Kazuma, wait up." She called, falling into step beside him. "When you're on duty from now on, start wearing a coat and tie." Just thinking about that made him want to growl. He certainly wasn't going to start playing dress up like some peacock strutting his stuff for a woman. "That way you'll at least look like a decent human being even if you're not."

"What's the point of me getting dress up when there's no one around to show it off to?" He replied. If he ever put on a suit and tie, you could be damn sure it was because she was going to be on his arm in some sort of stunning dress.

"What, I don't count?"

"I think you're missing the point."

Suddenly she sprinted in front of her, blocking the path with her arms spread.

"I'm starving. Take me to get some food." She announced, starting him down as if daring him to smile.

"Guess I'm treating again?"

"Oh, come on. It's no big deal, right? It's just the money you earn doing nothing anyway." She retorted, her hands resting on his slim hips. He couldn't quite decide if she was just dying to spend that much time with him, or if it was just her way of exacting revenge on him for taking her father up on his offer.

"Alright, I suppose a little dinner wouldn't hurt anyone." He agreed, especially thinking it would be nice if it happened to be steaming.

"Now you're starting to figure out how things work around here."

It took all of his will power not to chuckle as she played right into his hands. Her giggle as she turned away had a grin spreading his lips before he'd really even realized it though.

The way Jugo had them paired still concerned him though. Often after defeating a youma they would go out for dinner. Returning Ayano even after her strict curfew never really seemed to cause any ripples in the old man's serenity though. He just watched them with those wide, knowing eyes. First he'd study Ayano, then look to Kazuma as if asking a question. Never disapproving regardless of what state she returned in.

Kazuma thought that he might have it figured it out though. Ayano was the bait, again. All of that energy, the demands for food, had to be her way of keeping him close. Rather than Ayano playing into his hands, was Kazuma just victim to the plans of her father, who he knew to be a patient man fully capable of such a long term plan. Was Ayano just following orders like a good little Kannagi?

He kept taking her to expensive restaurant, watching carefully for some sort of deception as she picked at her food but finding only signs of enthusiasm.

"You know, before I met you, I thought I knew what a good meal was." She told him, sighing over her plate. That caught his attention, his eyes narrowing as she kept speaking. Who else had been taking her to places like this for her to know anyway? "But now thanks to you, I've learned a valuable lesson: food tastes better when you're not paying." Forcing his cup to his lips in an attempt to appear nonchalant, he revisited the idea of just how far Jugo would go for his power.

"And you always seem to order the most expensive item on the menu. I'm beginning to think you have a grudge against me." Maybe now she would blush, stammer an apology for how she'd been treating him, profess the feelings her father had told her she had. Her eyes widened, her lips opening and he waited, barely breathing.

"Did I give you the impression that I didn't?" She asked sweetly. He grinned, feeling a vice in his chest loosen as the breath escaped him.

"In that case, enjoy your meal, princess. And don't choke on it." He threw in for good measure so she wouldn't notice the dawn of relief across his features, the contentment of seeing her opposite of him at a table for two.

"Mr. Contractor?" He heard like a whisper across his sense, catching him off guard as it pulled his complete attention away from Ayano and the way her hair was sliding across her shoulders with every movement of her arm holding the fork. A familiar ball of light greeted him and he jumped to his feet before the pixie could do something cruel like throw a plate of food in Ayano's face and ruin a perfectly good evening

"Sorry, but I've got to run." He told her apologetically. "I'll pick up the tab. Have a desert. They're good here."

By the time he made it outside to follow the trail of the pixie's aura, he was feeling less than generous about having their time together disrupted. With Jugo's machinations, Kazuma knew he'd have to start making some tough decisions soon, and he'd hoped to at least have this one evening of her abrupt and straight-forward nature. But an appeal to the contract couldn't be ignored. The more people who learned about it, the more people who would be traveling to find him and ask for favors. He couldn't let word get out, especially by some annoying bug that called herself a pixie. Otherwise there would be absolutely no time for him to spend following Ayano around as her bodyguard.

When he found out that it involved the Tsuwabuki family though, he felt a thrill. He knew only a few details about them. Earth magic and sacrifice. It was enough to say that they were polar opposites from everything he held dear.

Hovering over the estate, Kazuma found it easy to ignore the little bug buzzing by his ear with her incessant whining and focus on finding the pixie treasure he'd learned was supposed to be inside. Instead he found people, a tall woman with long black hair that fell in her face, and an aura that didn't seem to match those of her family. Before he knew it, he was hurtling towards the ground by some invisible force. Breaking through the window, he found himself surrounded. He was more than a little pleased to threaten them as he made his exit again.

All he had to do was wait. It was something he'd been perfecting these days it seemed.


	9. The Monster Inside Chapter 9

**SORRY FOR MY PROLONGED ABSENCE IN WRITING THIS BUT MY COMPUTER BROKE SO I DIDN'T HAVE A WAY OF GETTING MY NEXT CHAPTER UP UNTIL JUST NOW WITH MY SPIFFY NEW COMPUTER.**

Propping himself up against a tree to spy on the earthusers wasn't exactly Kazuma's idea of a fine night, especially considering the chatty bug that spent her time wavering in front of his nose, the already high pitches of her voice screeching to an irritating level as she tried to get his attention. Right about now he wouldn't be against Ayano's flaming sword coming down to slice off his ears and save him some misery. Flicking the fairy away, he let his mind drift, considering all of the things he probably wouldn't have minded if Ayano had been around.

"What was that for?" She demanded, rubbing at her tiny pert nose.

"I had to get you to shut up somehow." He told her, the words immediately reminding him of kissing Ayano on the nose to get her to let go of him. "If anyone hears you, we're screwed."

He told himself that he was used to this. Sitting in the dark, watching over the ground but not touching it. The annoying fairy was an addition, but still. Somehow, it had never felt this lonely before. All this time of following Ayano around with her flaring temper and quick reflexes seemed to have torn away his comfort with solitude, however.

"I'm so bored." The fairy complained in a loud whisper.

"Your constant yapping isn't helping things go any faster." He muttered through clenched teeth, tossing a drink at her if only to shut her up for a little while.

All he could think about as he sat there was the sacrifice of the family before him. It was hardly a noble tradition, murdering a family member every thirty years to keep that beast sealed away. Suppose it was a tradition among the Kannagis. Who would they have volunteered with the pretense of a rigtheousness for saving thousands? Ren for his pure heart? Ayano for her incredible energy? He would've escaped if only because he didn't have any fire energy to offer, but given the right conditions, who's to say he wouldn't have been the the family decided to give up? Hell, they probably would have taken joy in the idea then.

Kazuma, lulled by the cool night and calm wind, had troubled dreams. There was Ayano, there always was Ayano. Around them was a confusing array of flames, eating away at them. Like a true Kannagi, she remained stationary, accepting the way the flames licked at her skin. He could remember her dedication, the willingness to die if it meant at least one less youma in the world. After all, she was a Kannagi, and it was her sacred duty to die in front of this beast. When Kazuma looked around though, the only beast to be found was himself.

Startled, Kazuma's head popped up, dislodging the fairy snoring on top of it. "It's your own fault for sleeping on my head, idiot." He told her, trying to keep himself calm and collected so she wouldn't notice.

The sacred treasure seemed to be lodged inside of a small girl, however, drawing Kazuma's mind away from the distubring images in his mind.

"We're going home." He said, just now deciding it. They would come back tomorrow, steal the treasure in the middle of their little ceremony. Kazuma had always known that deep inside he was nothing short of a cold-hearted monster. At least appeasing the monster inside this way meant punishing those who would sacrifice their own daughters.


	10. When Darkness Calls Chapter 10

When silence and darkness came to reign over the mountain of the beast, Kazuma could feel his focus clearing. The rage inside of him was cool and bright as the stars burning above them, blessing his dark and righteous intent. The night of the sacrifice seemed to be calling to him as he hovered over the estate.

A familiar sensation swamped him; the slow burn in his chest, too hot to breathe and nothing more than a meaningless sensation, the sizzle of his awareness brushing against another's. _Ayano? _

This was wrong. The fiery princess had no place in this darkness, where sacrifice meant honor and death was nothing more than glory to the murderer. Stretching his senses, he found another. The pure aura of Ren glowed like a white beacon to his shadows.

Wind like blades shot out, freeing his little brother as Kazuma watched, considering what this would mean to his plan.

"What's up?" He greeted when they both turned to regard him.

"How did you know where we were?" Ayano questioned, her eyes wide and surprised. Before he could answer, the little pixie bug buzzed by his ear, her high voice already rambling off an explanation until he grabbed her and silenced her ringing voice if only for a few minutes.

"Ok, what is up with the pixie?" Ayano immediately demanded. Her glare spoke volumes as if she was accusing him of siding with the little bug that had tormented her with pranks not so long ago.

"Well, it's kind of a long story." He hedged. "If I were you, I'd watch your back though." The caution came only after he sensed its movement. It had a strange aura, like that of a hollow life sustained by little in its current physical form. "That thing's not dead yet."

Coming to land beside the two Kannagis, Kazuma took a moment to take stock of the situation. The limbs he'd severed seemed to be reconnection, like molded mud made into a living statue. "What the hell is that thing?"

"He used to be human." Ren informed him.

"What happened?"

"He sacrificed his body to save the life of a family member."

"Yeah? That sounds about right." What worried him was how used to the idea he was becoming. It no longer made his stomach turn or his heart freeze. "It's all about sacrifice with them." The call for revenge upon them for the murders committed to their own family still appealed to him, but with these two there he couldn't act upon it, he knew. "It's sickening."

The rock beast before them bore little resemblance to the man he apparently had once been. This man once had so much love in his heart it had reduced him to this shell of a being. What other horrors would he endure in the name of his dedication? What sort of pathetic emotion was he confusing with love to think that dying for someone you loved was enough? Where was his passion to live for her, instead dedicating his life to her happiness. This shell was capable of causing only grief. It truly was sickening.

"Would you do it? Would you die if it meant protecting me?" Ren asked. It may have seemed a sudden question, too deep for the moment, but Kazuma understood.

"I've got an answer for you." Kazuma grinned. "First I'd save you, then I'd kill the bastard that put my little brother in harm's way. There's no reason everyone can't be happy right?" He'd thought to reassure him, show him that no way in hell would the Kannagis ever be so willing to sacrifice him in the way this family before them so readily gave up their own.

"I know what to do now." Ren surprised him by saying. "Just stay back you guys. I'm going to take care of this one by myself."

"Ren? Don't!" Ayano was shouting, her sword still at ready.

"What's up with him? Did something happen?" Kazuma stopped to ask. This child before him suddenly seemed older, wiser, and unfortunately a little disillusioned.

"You're a little too late for an explanation." Ayano retorted and he was hit with the guilt of his absence. If he had been there, could he have saved Ren from whatever hurt was so heavy upon his heart now?

"That wasn't a defensive move." Kazuma noted as he whipped the wind protectively around them. He'd doing something else."

"How did Ren do that? I hit him with Enraiha, and he didn't even budge."

"I guess Ren wasn't stupid enough to try and cut up a rock." Kazuma replied. "He used fire to purify his aura and return him to his original form. And he did it without sacrificing his life."

"How does Ren know how to do something that complicated?" Ayano asked, her look clearly daring him to have yet another answer to that.

"Yeah, good question. How did you do that?"

"I know who the true enemy is." Ren's gaze focused on the mountain and its façade of serenity. While horror seemed to strike the compassionate Ayano, Kazuma regarded it for a moment. Was it possible to stop the sacrifices in this family once and for all?

"I like the way you think, little brother."

"There's nothing impressive about it." Ayano lectured. "Stop encouraging him." Something cold touched upon his senses, allowing them to dodge just as a boulder smashed to the ground where they were just moments ago.

He recognized the dark figure floating in the sky as she was illuminated by Ayano's fire ball.

"He still lost despite the power I gave him." The woman as saying.

"I guess that means it wasn't his fault then." Kazuma practically growled. "I'm not surprised that you're behind this. Didn't expect to see you defying gravity though. That's an impressive feat for an earth magic user. But let me guess, you got your magic from the beast." He should have figured it out sooner when he first felt her aura. Now he could sense it, the demonic darkness soaking into her pores. The man laying unconscious before him had only wisps of it in his aura despite his transformation.

"Ren, you go ahead. We've got this under control." Sending him off on a gust of a wind, Kazuma watched him go for a moment, glad to get him out of the way for whatever attacks the woman in front of him had planned for them. Besides, this way Ren could see his girlfriend while Kazuma kicked some ass with his.

He sensed the moment his wind found its target, dropping Ren there. It had taken him somewhere unexpected though. Rather than some room in the mansion, it felt cold to him somehow. It had taken him somewhere that thrived off suppressed evil. Glancing toward Ayano with her blazing sword before her, he felt torn. Their enemy had yet to even land a hit, but it didn't feel as if this was truly all the fight she was capable of. It was like she was playing with them, delaying them. If all she was interested in was in taking up their time, then he needed to get Ren out of there before whatever she was waiting for happened, especially if it included the beast.

"I was doing fine on my own." Ren argued as soon as Kazuma appeared, a blush spreading across his pale cheeks.

"I know I saw you." Kazuma reassured him, glancing at his little girlfriend to find her watching Ren with something akin to adoration shining in her large eyes. "But we're running out of time here. You're still planning on taking out the beast, right?" He asked, winking conspiratorially at his brother.

"Right." Ren confirmed, his face taking on a determined look that Kazuma recognized whenever he looked in the mirror.


	11. Never Strong Enough to Save Her 11

Ever since the incident against the youma unleashed by the rogue wind users, Kazuma had a difficult time leaving Ayano alone. Logically, he knew her to be both capable and powerful. Unfortunately, she was also rash and clumsy.

"Come on. Let's get out of here." Kazuma urged Ren, eager to leave this dark cave and its depressing aura and return to Ayano's side.

"But wait."

"We got your girlfriend. Now let's go." There seemed to be something brewing in the air, magic energy swirling until the air was so dense it was difficult to breathe.

"What about Myumi?" Ren, the kind soul that he was asked, waving his arm towards the large crystal dominating the cavern.

"What? That doesn't make sense." Kazuma muttered. "What's the point of having a clone if you're still going to get sacrificed?" Anxious to leave this dark place, and its murderous family behind, Kazuma waved a blast of wind into existence, guiding it towards the trapped body inside. A million shattered crystals hurtled towards the ground, a sparkling coffin for the girl trapped inside that he quickly enwrapped in his winds.

"Kazuma! I think you may have acted a little quickly on that one. I think that crystal was holding up the cave." Ren yelped, dodging the rocks that came tumbling down from the ceiling.

Briefly shutting his eyes, Kazuma took a moment to evaluate. This recklessness wasn't like him. That was Ayano. He was the one who thought things through, who paused to consider every outcome, every loss. Without her by his side, it was like he couldn't focus on such tasks at hand, worry for her clouding his judgment.

"The exit's blocked off!" Ren's young voice brought Kazuma's attention to him and the realization that his little brother was in peril because of him.

"Guess we'll have to make our own. Straight to the top, Ren." With that, Kazuma began calculating the distance, the weight, the magic. And who awaited him on the other side of all of this cascading rock.

Holding the unconscious girl in his arms with her clone clutching his back for support and Ren dangling from one of his arms, he cleared the sky just in time. "Is everyone alright?" He asked, watching the rocks and knowing how easily they could have been crushed beneath them if not for his contract.

"Yeah, I'm alright." Ren assured him, his big green eyes gazing up more at the young girl behind him than at Kazuma himself. Grinning, Kazuma glanced around.

"Now to find Ayano." As if on cue, a burst of flames came from his left, a beacon of sorts. "That was easy." He said, smiling a bit at the idea that Ayano was beckoning them closer. "She always did know how to keep a low profile." Under all of the weight of their combined bodies, it took more wind than it usually did to fuel his flying and because of that they'd hardly made it a foot before Kazuma heard what sounded like a groan.

The head of the family greeted him as he slowly lowered the group to the ground. His body was encased in the very rocks he'd once controlled, his features permanently etched in an expression of shame and fear, all of his power gone. "You must stop her." He was murmuring, his old voice rough and strained. Before they could ask him anything, help him even, the rock that he was split, and the voice stopped. They had no choice but to keep going. There was no time to mourn the lost family head.

Following the signs of battle and the occasional flash of light from their attacks, finding Ayano was simple. The two women were facing off, neither launching an attack yet both breathing heavily from expending such energy. Judging from the look on Ayano's face, her temper was flaring which at least meant she had plenty of energy to be expending in the first place.

"Hey." He called, carefully setting down the group and relieving himself of the extra weight. "Been having fun?"

Ayano's dark eyes turned to his, blazing. Rather than launch any sort of offensive on their enemy, however, she charged him. Just as he ducked to avoid her flying sword which she seemed to have forgotten about, her long bare leg shot at his head, awarding him with an eye-popping view of the white panties beneath her short blue skirt.

"Yeah, so you might want to think twice before going for the high kick while wearing a skirt." He informed her, his arm reflexively deflecting her kick when he couldn't quite manage to pull himself away from the situation. "I'm just worried it might give your opponents the wrong impression." A blush spreading across her cheeks, she immediately drew her leg down to his relief. Hell, if she was going to be this thoughtless he might have to kill her next opponent before she got a chance to take a high-kicking shot at them.

"Do me a favor and SHUT UP!" Ayano retorted before her eyes landed on the kids behind him who seemed to be regarding them both with some interest. "You rescued her. Good job, Ren!" She told his brother, her eyes warming considerably. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Kazuma caught the vague sensation of an upcoming attack, reacting with a blade of wind.

This woman was ridiculous and sickening. He understood her completely. Like all in her family, she was ready to kill for power. The only difference was the she didn't quite understand how a power like hers worked. There would be no way of managing it, of harnessing it to her every whim. A power like that could only belong to the beast itself.

"Why would she even want that power?" Ayano, the naïve little princess that she was, had to ask.

"It's tough being born without them." He answered. He'd been that child once, he could relate. But here he was, wind contractor and intended suitor for unsuspecting Kannagi heir.

"She's doing all of this just because she couldn't harness her family's magic abilities? But that means she's just like you." Ayano murmured, and Kazuma flinched before he could help himself. Was this how she saw him then?

"I know. Everyone's got their own cross to bear. But you're so busy whining about your power that you haven't even seen the truth."

"And what truth is that?"

He knew the effects well. When someone took a power that wasn't theirs' to begin with, it changed them, magic changed them. Who knows who people who were born with it could be different? What sort of temper would Ayano have had if enraiha wasn't the cross she was born to bear? As it was, the woman before him was just as much of a beast as Kazuma himself.

"Why have you kept your human form?" He asked her curtly. Despite any monsters that raged within, the two of them looked normal, unthreatening even.

The beast had been using her, infusing her with its power since she was born. When the moment came, it would harvest its own power and rise again from…wait, from beneath the earth?

"You didn't keep the beast in the room with the giant crystal, did you?"

"Yes, that was its tomb." She told him, her head hanging in defeat.

"Oh." Well shit.

"Ok, I've seen that look before. Did you screw something up?" Ayano demanded, grabbing his collar and shaking him. By this point, he couldn't say that he blamed her. After all, he had just blown a hole in the tomb of a powerful and dangerous beast.

As if on cue, magma bubbled up from the mountain. Subtly, Kazuma took a small step in front of Ayano, inching his body in front of hers just by a bit.

"Zenon?" He repeated, keeping his eyes on the glowing embers on the mountain.

Kureha cringed, her body shaking as she fell to the ground. A dark form appeared from behind the flames, a foreboding shadow that left Kazuma with a bad feeling.

The beast itself had glowing red eyes and a reptilian form. He'd just as soon eat his victims as wipe them out with magic. "This is Zenon." This was the beast that countless had died to conceal, the enemy that had to be felled to end all sacrifices.

"Could it be any bigger?" Ayano said, her fists clenching at her side. Kureha screamed, magic energy being forced from her body in a small dark orb that could only belong to the beast. It was so small, yet so damaging. How much energy must he otherwise possess, Kazuma wondered, as the magic sunk into the beast, seeming to ignite within him.

It was simple. They just had to kill it. Then they could go back home and that annoying bug wouldn't be making a reappearance at his next dinner date. Ren would be happy with his girlfriend. Win-win. Slipping his arm about Ayano's waist, he waited for his brother to catch up after his little moment with the girl then lifted them all off the ground.

It was supposed to be simple after all. Somehow though, none of their attacks seemed to even phase it, even the power of Enraiha was useless. The attack sent Ayano reeling back across the flaming pool surrounding them. Grasping her hand, he hauled her into his arms as they hovered in the air, Enraiha held out to her side. He couldn't put her down. Not yet. Not after she'd nearly been dunked into a boiling pool.

"Enraiha didn't even put a scratch on it."

"Are you really that surprised? You haven't exactly mastered your powers."

"Hey! Watch it!"

"Look out!" Suddenly Ren's voice rang out from below them.

"Crap." Tucking Ayano's head close to his chest, Kazuma veered up and into the sky, away from the beast as he launched an attack.

Their attacks, powerful though they may be, weren't even touching the beast to begin with though.

"Wouldn't now be a good time to go all out on it?" Ayano demanded.

"I can only use my Contractor powers for a short time. Five minutes tops. If you really want me to collapse from exhaustion after it…" He said dryly, immediately rejecting the idea of leaving them open to attack for even that long.

"Oh, so you have like a thousand ways of being useless."

"And you've been such a great help." He reminded her. He hardly needed her taunts to remind him that he was doing a poor job of keeping them out of the danger he'd already sworn to protect them from. If only he could weaken the barrier about the beast's body…

Earthen spikes shot up from beneath the beast, its tips breaking off under the pressure.

"Kareha!"

She was angry and alone. But in the end, even her newly found powers wouldn't be enough. She would just be another sacrifice and he couldn't stand for that.

"What was I even born for?" She was crying, tears pouring from her eyes as surely as the earth magic was flowing into her.

All her life, she had been separated from those who were supposed to love her and protect her. Instead they had only rejected her. Her death would be on their hands.

"What a pointless way for her to die." The magic had blown her away in just seconds.

Ren seemed intent on the same path, firing shots as if he were simply trying to irritate the beast rather than kill it. Catching him midair, Kazuma hauled him up. Maybe if they could take a closer shot? Regardless, their attacks never touched it, and the beast was intent on making its departure.

A strange pulsing energy seemed to sink into the air, weighing it down and brightening it.

"Ayumi!" Ren called.

"She knows what she's doing, Ren. She's taking a chance and willing to fight because she has something to live for." Watching his younger brother, he saw the pain in his eyes, the heartbreak. "She's doing this because she wants to be with you." He said, lifting his gaze to Ayano, who watched them with solemn eyes.

"She's in pain!" Ren jerked as if trying to go to her.

"She's doing this to be with you. What will you do to be with her?" _Fight_? _Fight like hell._

"That's an easy question with an obvious answer. I'll fight the beast. But I need you. I need both of you to help me." Ren decided.

"Hell yeah." Kazuma grinned, his gaze catching Ayano's as she swung her blade up.

"That's what I want to hear." She cheered. Keeping his senses on her, he closed his eyes and opened his mind to the Spirit King of the Wind.

Harnessing the winds, a flurry of air swept about them as Ren focused his entire being on his fire, Ayano doing the same. They left the beast in pieces. Just as they fired the last shot, Kazuma felt the shift in the auras. Ayumi.

"You might as well stay here." Kazuma grabbed Ayano before she could follow Ren as he sprinted towards the first girl he'd ever loved.

"We have to go and help her." She argued though she didn't try to go again.

"I don't think there's anything we can do to help her." If they were lucky, she would be the last of the sacrifices this family ever offered. The one pure heart in the whole bunch, just like Ren.

"What were we even fighting for then? What's the point in being a Contractor if you can't even save a little girl?"

"I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to do anything." In the end, it was her power that had defeated the beast. All he had was a contract. She had the heart, the motivation, the love. She'd fought to be with Ren, to save Ren and he'd returned that feeling. It was something so pure that Kazuma knew he could never touch upon something like it.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." It didn't surprise him that Ayano would apologize. At the heart of things, she was tender and loving. The tough warrior part of her was simply who she had to be sometimes. He brought his hand up, unable to resist keeping her there, close to him, weaving his fingers through her bright hair. "I couldn't do anything for her."

"We need to stay strong now." He reminded her, forcing himself to stare straight ahead, away from her tears and shaking voice. "For Ren's sake." His weakness, Ayano, could never be the cause for any hurt in Ren's life.

Ren had only one question for which Kazuma had no answer. "Why couldn't I save her?"

It was every fear of Kazuma's. He simply wasn't strong enough. When called upon, would Ayano sacrifice herself too, leaving Kazuma powerless to protect her while she fought for his life with her own?


End file.
